Posted Jun 9, 2023 5:27 PM ET
Paris – the world’s first lipstick. The first modern fragrance. Rotating toothbrush. The original Nivea cream and serum. Not forgetting the intimate secrets of Queen Elizabeth II. These are some of the treasures kept in Guerlain’s early archives, which tell stories from the iconic French cosmetics company’s exciting past.
Guerlain has given The Associated Press exclusive access for international media to its new collection, a secret storehouse of wonders hidden from view on the banks of the Seine in Paris. It is a jewel of mystical documents and artifacts spanning three centuries, each with its own unique history.
However, perhaps the most remarkable thing about the collection is that the company that was founded in 1828 and pioneered modern perfumery has never put it together before.
“This is what we call our little secret,” said Anne-Caroline Brazan, director of heritage at Guerlain, who sifted through a wealth of artifacts to piece together a years-long labor of love. “Many years ago it would have been difficult to reduce 18,000 parts to just 400, but we have done it… Some parts are so fragile that I am afraid to touch them.”
The ambitious project was born thanks to Brazan’s passion and patience. Through a mist of fragrance, she tells vignettes about the creations of Guerlain and her famous patrons, including French Empress Eugenie, Josephine Baker, Grace Kelly, Jacqueline Kennedy, Barbra Streisand, Margaret Thatcher, and the late Queen of the United Kingdom.
When Brazan turned to handle the collection’s most valuable object, an 1870-created lipstick in a contemporary-looking gold ball, she carefully removed her white gloves as if performing a sacred ritual.
“Very recent,” she whispered, her finger gingerly working a push-button mechanism to reveal a speck of dark burgundy wax still intact after 153 years.
Refillable lipsticks have a fascinating history, just like everything else in the archives. Aime and Gabriel Guerlain’s employee was walking down a street and came across the shop of a candle maker, who gave him his own colored wax and dyes for an eureka moment.
At that time, women used pots of colored powder to paint their lips with large brushes. Seeing the candle maker’s tools, Brazan said, gave the Guerlain employee the “crazy” idea of making a wax lip balm stick.
“This little piece has forever revolutionized women’s makeup,” she said.
Brazan also bought the world’s first lip liner, also in elegant gold packaging, and a third stick – which the Associated Press reporter could not identify. It turns out that women used them to paint the veins in their arms and necks blue, a common technique used by women in late 19th century Paris to look pale. Fortunately, it’s over, Brazan said.
Perhaps the fact that Guerlain has been in the family for five generations is one reason why these pieces are so meticulously archival. The company was taken over by the luxury group LVMH in 1994, but it has managed to retain its unique identity.
Innovation, including beyond the realm of fragrances, is the brand’s hallmark. Among the archival treasures is the patent for the first pivoting toothbrush. The documents revealed a design from 1845 that appears to be a precursor to today’s electric toothbrushes.
We pulled a jar of moisturizer called Nivea out of the drawer. Another story that linked the past and the present. The cream, which contains ingredients to whiten the skin of European women, was sold by the house to create the famous skincare company of the same name.
Then there’s the old bottle of Jicky, the world’s first modern perfume. Created in 1889, it revolutionized the market with the concept of an aromatic cocktail – not just a single note like previous fragrances – that included notes of spice, lemon, lavender, wood and vanilla. It also included synthetic ingredients and is, unbelievably, the world’s oldest continuously produced fragrance.
However, it is the anecdotes of the house’s stars that make the collection shine, despite its history, it seems so alive.
Pictured on the wall is Queen Elizabeth II wearing a luxurious white fur stole, and she was such a fan of Guerlain’s L’Heure Bleue, says Brazan, that she emptied a bottle and filled it with Coronation Oil from 1952. Years. , and such was the late king’s emotional attachment to perfume.
From another archive shelf, a bottle of a different scent shimmered with allure. The fragrance was created for the christening of the Queen’s uncle years before he became King Edward VII – who abdicated for love. The collection sometimes feels like a jarring timeline of important moments for the world’s historical figures.
While the archives are a closed case, the brand has created an exhibition open to the public to celebrate the 170th anniversary of its most iconic design, the Bee Bottle. The exhibition, titled “Chère Eugénie,” is on display at the Guerlain boutique on the Champs-Elysées until September 4.
There, the original Bee bottle—a historical artifact—is on display like a crown jewel with light reflecting off a hand-painted bee engraving. It was created in 1853 for the wedding of Empress Eugenie and Napoleon III.
The bee was the French imperial emblem and also the emblem of Clovis, the first of the Frankish kings. He has come to represent Guerlain to this day.
To celebrate the bottle’s anniversary, 11 international artists and actresses, including Charlotte Rampling and Audrey Tautou, have created a series of images inspired by the Bee Bottle.
A foot in the past with an eye on the future seems to define the Guerlain brand, its longevity has pushed the company to perfection.
“I plan well for the future, as easily as 100 years from now,” Brazan observed as he pulled away from his nearly 200-year-old stuff. “I know the house will be there for a long time, long after we are gone. How many people can say that?”
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The fact that the Guerlain house has been family-run for five generations is perhaps one reason why these archival pieces are so meticulously preserved. The company was bought by luxury group LVMH in 1994, but has managed to maintain its unique identity.
Innovation, including beyond the realm of fragrances, is the brand’s hallmark. Among the archival treasures is the patent for the first pivoting toothbrush. The documents revealed a design from 1845 that appears to be a precursor to today’s electric toothbrushes.
A jar of moisturizing cream called Nivea that was taken out of the drawer told us another story that linked the past and the present. The cream, which contains ingredients to whiten the skin of European women, was sold by the house to create the famous skin care company of the same name.
Then there’s the old bottle of Jicky, the world’s first modern perfume. Created in 1889, it revolutionized the market with the concept of a scent cocktail – not just a single note like previous fragrances – that incorporated hints of spice, lemon, lavender, wood and vanilla. It also included synthetic ingredients and is, unbelievably, the world’s oldest continuously produced perfume.
However, it is the anecdotes of the House’s stars that bring the dazzle to a collection that, despite its history, seems so alive.
Queen Elizabeth II, pictured on the wall wearing a luscious white fur stole, was such a fan of Guerlain’s L’Heure Bleue, Brazan says, that she emptied a bottle and filled it with oil from her 1952 coronation. It was kept for years, and it was Such is the late king’s emotional attachment to the scent.
From another archive shelf, a bottle of a different perfume sparkled with allure. The fragrance was created for the baptism of the Queen’s uncle years before he became King Edward VII – who famously abdicated for love. The collection sometimes feels like a potted timeline of the world’s historical figures’ key moments.
While the archive is a classified affair, the brand has created an exhibition open to the public to celebrate the 170th anniversary of its most iconic design, the Bee Bottle. The exhibit, called “Chere Eugenie,” is on display at Guerlain’s Champs-Elysees boutique until September 4.
There, the original Bee bottle—a historical artifact—is on display like a crown jewel with light reflecting off a hand-painted bee etching. It was created in 1853 for the wedding of Empress Eugenie and Napoleon III.
The bee was the French imperial emblem and also the emblem of Clovis, the first of the Frankish kings. It has come to represent Guerlain to this day.
To mark the bottle’s anniversary, 11 international artists and actresses, including Charlotte Rampling and Audrey Tautou, have created a series of images inspired by the Bee Bottle.
A foot in the past with an eye on the future seems to define Guerlain, its longevity has forced the company to perfection.
“I plan well for the future, as easily as 100 years away,” Brazan noted as she put away her nearly 200-year-old items. “I know the house will be around for a long time, long after we’re gone. How many people can say that?”
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